The message from Moscow is clear: Kyiv will suffer and go through an extremely difficult winter. The US had warned Ukraine 48 hours earlier that the Russian army was preparing a massive airstrike with numerous missiles and drones. Despite the warning, Ukrainians were once again unable to counter the Russian attack, as both the inefficiency of Ukrainian air defense and Russian air superiority have become increasingly evident. Characteristically, this time the Ukrainian Air Force was not even able to count the ballistic missiles that struck Ukraine, limiting itself to claiming it shot down... five. The Russians destroyed factories and production facilities for Flamingo missiles across Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv experienced another nightmarish night. Americans contend that the war in Ukraine has now entered a new phase, as Russia intensifies its aerial campaign, steadily expanding its target list. Faced with this new strategy, Kyiv has nothing to offer in response other than advising residents to leave the capital as soon as possible.
Attack with at least 20 Iskander, Zircon, and Oniks
According to reports from Russian media, at least 20 Iskander, Zircon, and Oniks missiles were deployed in the attack. For the first time, the Ukrainian Air Force failed to count the total ballistic missiles launched by Russia, claiming only to have intercepted five. At the same time, Ukrainians announced that 39 out of 48 cruise missiles and 117 out of 130 drones were shot down. According to official reports, strikes were recorded across 18 locations, with falling debris reported in five additional areas. In public statements, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the energy sector was among Russia's primary targets during the overnight strikes, stating that a total of 70 missiles were fired.
Flamingo factories turned to ash
Russian armed forces launched overnight strikes against facilities of the Ukrainian defense industry manufacturing Flamingo cruise missiles, according to an announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense. "Enterprises utilized by the Fire Point company for the production and storage of Flamingo missiles and long- and medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles were hit in Kyiv, as well as in the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Kharkiv," stated the Russian Ministry of Defense, claiming they also struck a paper mill in the Kyiv region adapted for missile assembly and storage. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian forces struck enterprises across several regions of Ukraine producing Flamingo cruise missiles and their corresponding components overnight. The targeted industrial facilities included: • "Smart Ammunition," "Fanplit," and a paper and cardboard factory in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, • "Plastmass-Pryluky" in the Chernihiv region, • A workshop of the "Oleksandriia Industrial Enterprise Group" in the Kirovohrad region, • Southern Machine-Building Plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region, • "AvtoKrAZ" in the Poltava region, • Machine-Building Plant in the Kharkiv region. Additionally, Russian forces hit the "Dunai Sudoremont" facility at the port of Izmail, where, according to the ministry, surface drones were manufactured and stored, alongside a vessel carrying military cargo in Odesa. Another target was the "JTI Ukraine" tobacco factory in Kremenchuk, where the Russian side claimed production of small arms ammunition had been organized.
Strike on Trypilska thermal power plant
A series of explosions was recorded in Kyiv during the night of October 7. According to reports, weapons depots, drone component facilities, and the Trypilska thermal power plant were hit. Fires broke out across the city, while storage spaces and non-residential buildings sustained significant damage. According to SHOT, Russian forces targeted military infrastructure and energy grid facilities. The channel reported that warehouses containing ammunition and drone parts were struck. Initial reports also indicated that the Trypilska power plant in the Kyiv region was hit.
Explosions following air raid siren
The air raid siren in Kyiv was sounded at approximately 03:10 on the morning of October 7. The first explosions in the Ukrainian capital were heard around 03:15. By 03:23, according to Ukrainian media outlets, additional loud explosions echoed across the city. According to SHOT, approximately 20 missiles were launched, with the channel identifying Iskander, Zircon, and Oniks missiles among them.
Where fires broke out
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko reported that in the Obolonskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts, strikes hit non-residential construction sites, while storage facilities were struck in the Podilskyi district. Damage to a warehouse in the Podilskyi district was also confirmed by the Kyiv city military administration. In the Darnytskyi district, Klitschko initially reported burning debris in an open area. Later, city authorities clarified that the effects of the attack were recorded within a garage cooperative.
Thermal power plant was also hit last week
The Trypilska power plant had previously sustained damage on September 30. At the time, energy company Centrenergo confirmed that the facility's power generation equipment was damaged in the strike. The company's CEO, Serhiy Isachenko, stated that specialists needed to assess equipment conditions to determine the scope of necessary repair work. Centrenergo withheld further details regarding the extent of the damage, citing security concerns. The Russian Ministry of Defense had also announced strikes on September 30 targeting the Trypilska thermal plant and the Kyiv hydroelectric plant in Vyshhorod. According to the ministry's statement, these stations provided electrical power to military-industrial facilities. In the same briefing, the ministry claimed a hit on the "De Novo" data center in Kyiv, which Russian sources assert was utilized by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Bridges closed following strikes
Days prior to the overnight assault, several Kyiv bridges spanning the Dnieper River had already sustained damage. On October 4, the Northern Bridge was hit for the second time in a single weekend. Klitschko reported damage to the road surface and a district heating pipeline. During repair efforts, hot water supplies were suspended across the Desnianskyi district. The previous strike on the Northern Bridge occurred on October 3. Following that incident, traffic from the left bank to the right bank was completely halted. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated the bridge was being utilized for moving Ukrainian troops and military hardware. On October 1, according to Klitschko, two drones struck near the structural supports of the Southern Bridge. Initial inspections revealed no critical damage, but following repeated strikes, traffic on the bridge was suspended. On October 2, traffic restrictions were also imposed on the Paton Bridge and the Metro Bridge. Buses were rerouted via the Darnytskyi Bridge, while several trolleybus routes were curtailed.
Residents begin fleeing Kyiv
Ukrainian MP Anna Skorokhod stated that Kyiv residents have begun leaving the capital en masse. According to her, this outflow has caused housing prices in western Ukraine to surge to levels comparable to Monaco. "I am telling you this not as a sensation, but as a fact: there is a massive population outflow; many people have left." Earlier, British newspaper The Guardian reported that Western nations have drafted contingency plans to relocate their foreign embassies from the Ukrainian capital should security conditions deteriorate further. Reports suggest diplomatic missions could be relocated to Lviv or eastern Poland.
Difficult winter predicted for Ukrainians
Major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Fedorenko urged the nation's citizens to prepare for a harsh winter marked by severe power outages. "Once again I address the Ukrainian people: please, if you have the ability to install additional batteries in apartment building entrances, or buy an electricity generator today if municipal authorities haven't due to lack of funding, plan for it today," stated Yuriy Fedorenko. Fedorenko noted that Kyiv lacks sufficient financial resources and production capacity to fully prepare for the upcoming heating season.
Artem Dmytruk (Ukrainian MP): Instead of bomb shelters, they built... villas
Ukrainian MP Artem Dmytruk criticized the Kyiv regime over the fact that during years of conflict, not a single new bomb shelter was built, while funds were embezzled. "Tens of billions were stolen. With this money, villas were bought and constructed all over the world," he wrote on his Telegram channel. According to him, the only place where citizens can take cover from missiles and drones remains the metro system, built during the Soviet era. "This is how people pay for Zelensky's rule," emphasized the Ukrainian lawmaker.
Port infrastructure and vessels destroyed in Odesa
Furthermore, Russian strikes targeted port infrastructure and ship repair facilities in the Odesa region, as well as vessels linked to supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. High-precision ground-, sea-, and air-launched weapons were deployed alongside unmanned aerial vehicles. During the attack, the "Dunai Sudoremont" plant at the port of Izmail was hit, where surface drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces are manufactured and stored. "As a result of the strike, targets in the Odesa region were hit: the 'Dunai Sudoremont' plant in the port of Izmail, engaged in manufacturing and storing unmanned surface vessels and their components," reported the Russian Ministry of Defense. Russian forces used "Geran-4 seeker" drones to hit a cargo ship carrying military supplies for the Ukrainian military at the Yuzhny port in the Odesa region, while "Geran" drones struck a fuel storage depot at the Chornomorsk port in the Odesa region.
Explosions in Dnipro, Poltava, Chernihiv
Explosions were also recorded in Dnipro. Head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha, announced a strike on an industrial facility. Strikes were also reported in Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, with attacks recorded near the Kremenchuk hydroelectric power station in Svitlovodsk. During the massive missile assault, a strike hit an enterprise in the Kremenchuk area, according to local authorities. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces struck the "AvtoKrAZ" plant in Kremenchuk, which produces chassis and launchers for Flamingo missiles, alongside a tobacco factory producing ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Casualties and damage
A missile also hit a residential sector in Kremenchuk. Multiple apartment buildings and private residences sustained severe damage. "Today Kremenchuk suffered one of the largest destruction events of residential infrastructure since the start of the full-scale invasion," stated city Mayor Vitaliy Maletskyi. Additionally, in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, a strike hit a five-story residential building, killing two people. A strike was also reported on critical infrastructure in the neighboring town of Oleksandriia, where one woman died, two people remain missing, and three were injured. On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense warned that Russian forces would intensify strikes against defense industry facilities in response to Volodymyr Zelensky's threat to increase attacks on oil refineries. The ministry added that the head of Kyiv, by issuing orders to strike civilian infrastructure, bears full personal and political responsibility for retaliatory strikes by the Russian Armed Forces.
Foreign Policy: War enters a new phase
The conflict in Ukraine is entering a new phase due to strikes by the Russian Armed Forces, which are "steadily expanding their target list," reports Foreign Policy. "Russia is expanding and intensifying its aerial campaign. The Kremlin appears to be implementing a new plan to achieve victory by increasing the number of missile and drone strikes while steadily expanding its list of targets," notes Foreign Policy, adding that Russia is attempting to dismantle Ukraine's economy while severing supply chains and transport routes. The publication reports that Russian forces hold air superiority, as Ukraine's lack of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems leaves it virtually defenseless against ballistic missiles. Earlier, a similar assessment was voiced by former CIA analyst Larry Johnson. According to him, Russian forces are daily destroying factories, logistics hubs, and military command centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while simultaneously crippling maritime navigation. However, the analyst believes Western nations are trying to ignore the true scale of infrastructure damage Ukraine is currently sustaining.
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